It’s not all bad news for Everton with Real midfielder set to arrive

David Moyes will be hoping he signs Royston Drenthe as a partner for Mikel Arteta

The Everton board look set for a busy evening as they prepare to negotiate with Arsenal and Real Madrid in deals that could see players come and go at Goodison Park.

Mikel Arteta’s move to Arsenal is not guaranteed but reports suggest Arsenal are confident of landing the midfielder in a move that would anger Everton fans.

But the good news is that Real Madrid midfielder Royston Drenthe is on his way to Merseyside to thrash out details on a possible loan move to Everton, and he may yet be playing alongside Arteta this season.

Drenthe spent last season on loan at Hercules and gained many plaudits for his early season performances.

However Drenthe fell out with the Hercules management following the winter break and the player managed just 14 appearances for the Spanish club.

Having moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2007, Drenthe has never really settled in the Spanish capital and he has made just 46 appearances over three seasons for Madrid.

His temperament makes him a risky signing for Everton and the Moyes’ demeanour will be something that Drenthe will have to get used to.

Moyes style of management will be something Drenthe’s not used to and it may be that he needs a dominant personality to get the best out of him.

Drenthe’s versatility will be hugely beneficial to an Everton squad that is lacking in depth, and Drenthe’s ability to play in either midfield or on the left-side of defence will be something Moyes wil admire.

With Everton struggling to produce funds to sign players, a loan move for Drenthe is a great way to bolster the squad and while many believe Arteta’s departure will hurt Everton, he would be the only high-profile departure from a team that finished seventh last season.

Robbie studied sports journalism at the University of Gloucestershire, an establishment chosen for its proximity to Cheltenham racecourse, where he was a season ticket holder. Upon graduation, Robbie was a contributor to GolfPunk, a national magazine aimed at ridding golf of its traditionalist image, before joining the news.ladbrokes team.